Rahm wins Spanish Open after leaping ahead of Dunne, Elvira

Basque Country native Rahm returned to Spain less than a week after finishing fourth in the Masters.

World number four Jon Rahm won the Spanish Open to claim his third European Tour title on Sunday after holding his nerve against fellow Spaniard Nacho Elvira and Irishman Paul Dunne in a tight finale.

He joins Miguel Angel Jimenez, Alvaro Quiros, Sergio Garcia, Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido as Spanish winners of this tournament since it became a European Tour event in the 1970s.

"When I made the decision to come straight from Augusta it wouldn't be to just show up and walk around, I wanted to win this tournament", Rahm said.

Jon Rahm felt he came through his hardest Sunday as a professional to secure a landmark win on home soil at the Open de Espana.

It was hardly the biggest stage he's succeeded on but Jon Rahm says winning in front of a home crowd in Madrid was the most hard Sunday he's ever endured.

4 returned a closing 5-under 67 around Centro Nacional de Golf in Madrid to post a 20-under 268.

The tournament was eventually decided on the short 17th as Rahm escaped with a par after nearly sending his tee shot into the water, the ball just holding up in the rough.

The 23-year-old held off closest challenger Paul Dunne with his final-round 67 to earn a third victory in his last 10 worldwide starts. Dunne also birdied the last to beat Elvira by one, with South Africa's Gerry Coetzee finishing fourth a further shot back after his 63 equalled the lowest round of the week.

"It's been unbelievable", Rahm noted. "It's probably the hardest Sunday I've ever had to play because the amount of crowds I was carrying". You can tell how excited everybody is.

"I felt like I hit the ball great", Dunne said. As a golfer it's hard to deal with the public's emotions, so I tried to isolate myself and that's perhaps why I didn't play my best golf.

"I've been blessed to be national champion with the Spanish Golf Federation many times, European champion and world champion representing them".

"They played a huge part, I came for them mainly so I'm just glad I can win this one for the Spanish people".

Rahm did not look likely to take advantage of the par five tenth after sending his second right and his third over the green but he chipped in and led on his own, with Dunne hitting back on the same hole when he got up and down from a bunker.

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